10 examples of motivator-driven social media ads and posts

Your audience responds to unique motivators in marketing. Know what motivates your audience for optimal engagement in your marketing efforts.

Great marketers know what their people want. They understand what motivates them and how to more effectively drive them to take action. In this post, we’ll review ten examples of motivator-driven marketing done well. But first, let’s chat a bit about what motivators are and why they matter when reaching out to your target market.

Understand what motivates your audience

People are motivated by a variety of things — and we couldn’t possibly identify each one in this post — but common motivators include:

• Family
• Money
• Influence
• Health
• Fitness
• Religion
• Adventure
• Self-expression
• Self-improvement

Each motivator influences why your audience looks at your ad, and—more importantly—why they choose to buy. As you learn about your audience’s motivators, you can develop more trust with your audience and be able to portray a more authentic version of your brand and offerings online.

As you create your ads, you can also help your audience relate to what you’re offering by using words and phrases that resonate with the things that motivate them. Done correctly, this helps drive your audience to take action more often. That being said, let’s take a look at ten examples—and we’ll talk about the words each uses to connect with their audience in a meaningful way.

And, if you’re interested in taking a deeper dive into motivator or value-driven social media ads, please check out this marketing course on Skillshare, Build better social media ads and posts.

1. Duluth Trading Company

Duluth Trading Company sells to people who are familiar with manual labor, whether that’s building a barn, working on a homestead, creating metal art, or a hundred other hands-on professions and hobbies.

Though they market to a variety of backgrounds, this social media post from Duluth Trading Company is focused on those who are motivated by family.

Audience motivator: Family

This Duluth Trading Company ad is an excellent example of how to reach people motivated by family.

Why this social media ad works:

• It calls out that these are perfect for family portraits.
• A “family” of shirts is clearly presented with eye-catching colors.
• It promises the “warm ’n’ fuzzies,” and who doesn’t want that for their family?

2. Crio Bru

Crio Bru knows the benefits of cacao and they’re making it available to people who enjoy a brewed cup of yum first thing in the morning—with benefits. Of course, they’re quite open about the benefits of cacao which appeals to health-conscious consumers.

People motivated by health are apt to choose products with substantiated health claims, and the benefits of cacao have been substantiated time-and-again.

Audience motivator: Health

This Crio Bru ad does an excellent job of combing chocolate with amazing health benefits in a simple morning drink.

Why this social media post works:

• The many benefits of cacao are called out in a single sentence.
• The benefits are linked to drinking Crio Bru.
• The image shows a drink that resembles many people’s morning wake up—except it’s the healthy version.

3. Stitch Fix

Stitch Fix delivers a promise of simple self-expression in this ad. They’ve also opted for a carousel ad, which allows them to showcase a variety of self-expressive styles—which surely has something to catch the eye of their target market.

The uncluttered images on white show off the styles while allowing their audience to imagine themselves in the clothing as well.

Audience motivator: Self expression

Stitch Fix knows it’s audience is comprised of people who value self-expression, as evidenced in this ad.

Why this social media ad works:

• It explains that self-expression can be “effortless.”
• It calls out that all styles are “designed to fit you, your taste & your wallet.”
• Each style is named to reflect the idea of self-expression as you can see in “free-spirited,” and “bohemian.”

4. Bespoke Post

Bespoke Post provides a monthly subscription box of items mostly geared toward men. While boxes are customized up front according to preferences, their posts and ads must accommodate for all of their markets. This ad in particular is geared toward those motivated by adventure.

And, it makes adventure easy with the right equipment for those who join the “club.”

Audience motivator: Adventure

Bespoke Post shares suggestions for adventure in this ad that their audience can find easily relatable.

Why this social media post works:

• It promises a simple way to cook outdoors.
• The image clearly shows grill in action so you can visualize setup and use.
• It provides use cases, “picnics, campsites, or the beach.”

5. Keen

Keen makes a variety of boots, shoes, and sandals—all with a uniquely shaped toe box. They have styles that appeal to everyone from avid hikers to urban walkers.

In this social media post, they’re reaching out to those who want to protect the environment. This is something many people can relate to if the correct language is used in ads and posts.

Audience motivator: The environment

Keen appeals to a subset of their audience that deeply values the environment in this ad.

Why this social media post works:

• It clearly outlines how these shoes have been made in a way that protects the environment.
• It calls out the use of “recycled aluminum eyelets.”
• The images use bright colors and illustrate how they’re perfect for urban wear.

6. Grammar Girl

Grammar Girl helps people write better by providing grammar advice through articles, a podcast, their website, and a newsletter. The creator of Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty, does an excellent job of making grammar fun and intriguing.

In this example, she’s providing a bit of trivia to people who are motivated by learning. She keeps it simple but provides enough of a teaser to make you want to click and learn more.

Audience motivator: Learning

It’s quite common for Grammar Girl to share insight into words and literature, as seen in this post.

Why this social media post works:

• It provides insight, a little-known fact about a famous writer.
• It promises a bit of social currency once this fact is shared with friends.
• The image is immediately reminiscent of Lewis Carroll.

7. Dollar Shave Club

Dollar Shave Club is another subscription box that provides a variety of products to help you look and feel your best. Products include shaving cream, moisturizer, and razors. Marketing to a predominantly male audience, Dollar Shave Club provides self-care tools and tips to men in a way they can relate to—and in ways that are often humorous.

This post in particular doesn’t even mention their products, but it does provide value to those who are motivated by self improvement. Providing valuable content to your audience without trying to sell them on your product is an essential part of effective social media marketing.

Audience motivator: Self improvement

Dollar Shave Club routinely provides tips and advice without the sales pitch—as seen in this social post.

Why this social media post works:

• It mentions improvement multiple times without being redundant.
• It provides four easy, do-able tips to make your day better.
• It’s not selling a thing—showing their audience that this company cares about them and their health, not just about selling them on something.

8. Lindt

As a top chocolate producer, it would seem like a no-brainer who Lindt would tailor their marketing toward: indulgent, sweet toothed kinds of people, people who care about quality chocolate with excellent ingredients. This ad, however, is designed to connect with those who are motivated by health.

It combines the luxurious qualities of fine, Swiss chocolate with the healthy options of smoothies. The result is appetizing and effective.

Audience motivator: Health

Lindt knows their audience likes chocolate. They also know that a large portion of their audience also values their health.

Why this social media post works:

• It clearly shows a healthy breakfast accented with quality chocolate.
• It calls out dark chocolate as a “superfood” and links that together with another superfood: Goji berries.
• The wording makes this particularly mouth-watering as it calls out that it’s easy and refreshing, yet “full of texture and flavor.”

9. Love in Faith

This company, Love in Faith, primarily focuses on those who are motivated by faith, although they also have many sub-motivators they need to appeal to within their larger audience. In this ad, they’ve done an excellent job of reaching those who want to stay strong in a committed relationship.

Because their following is pretty loyal, they’re able to lighten the mood by joking in their copy about their own brand, but then address the seriousness of a strong relationship by focusing again on the main motivator behind their brand success: Faith.

Audience motivator: Relationships

Love in Faith sells to people with a variety of motivators all with one common theme: Faith. This ad appeals to those who also highly value relationships.

Why this social post works:

• “Couples” is called out right up front—along with a play on the phrase, “Couples that pray together stay together.
• They address a belief that’s core among faith-motivated people: Put God first.
• The image shows a happy couple wearing their apparel.

10. Glen Eyrie

Glen Eyrie is offering an unusual experience in this ad, providing an opportunity for influencers to experience this remote work opportunity before any of their friends or followers.

As their audience shares about their experience — working remotely from a castle — it also provides social currency. If you’re unfamiliar with that term, Techopedia defines social currency as, “the value that people have built up in terms of their interactions and their potential for social influence or success.”

And, influencers love social currency!

Audience motivator: Influence

Glen Eyrie isn’t just a remote work destination. It’s a place for getaways, weddings, conferences and more—but this ad is focused on a specific subset of that audience.

Why this social ad works:

• It calls out the unique experience of working from a castle.
• They detail out the “dedicated workspaces,” “unbeatable views,” etc.
• They provide a “home away from home” visual, though I’d be a bit more excited if the colors in this ad were more pronounced.

Define what motivates your audience

Your audience will be unique, and may have multiple motivators that you need to connect with. If you find yourself stuck in the process—or you just want another opinion on how to define the things that motivate your audience to take action—contact us at connect@alterethos.engineering.

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